13 Reasons Why
by XxArt is a BangxX
Summary: Naruto finds a package with tapes in it on his porch. These tapes, he soon finds out, holds the life story of Sakura. Full summary inside!
1. Yesterday, One Hour After School

"13 Reasons Why" ...

Summary: Naruto Uzumaki doesn't want anything to do with the tapes Sakura Haruno made. Sakura is dead, he says to himself. Her secrets should go with her...But then Sakura's voice tells Naruto that his name is on her tapes...and also, that he is in some way, responsible for her death. All through the night, Naruto listens intently to the tapes. He follows her recorded words throughout Konoha...and what he discovers changes his life forever.

Yayyyy!! First fanfic. Based on the novel "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher. This story will follow the main story of "Thirteen Reasons Why." But, for the sake of it being a Naruto fanfic, it will have its minor tweaks...!

Oh...I don't own Naruto. And I don't own "Thirteen Reasons Why."

With all of that outta the way... We have the beginning of the story. Hope you like it. 3

. Y e s t e r d a y . One Hour After School . --

A small package is sitting on my porch, right by my front door. I look at it closely. I see that on the wrapping addresses the package is to Naruto Uzumaki, so I pick it up and take it inside. This felt odd, since I never get packages...

I walked in the kitchen and set the package down on the counter. Grabbing a knife, I cut the duct tape sealing whatever was inside. After breaking the seal I opened the top of the small box and saw bubble-wrap. I search through it and discover seven small tapes.

Each tape had a blue number painted on it. Each side had a blue number on it. One and two on the first tape, three and four on the next, ect. The last tape had only one blue number on it. It stopped at thirteen.

I wondered who would want to give me a small box of tapes... Tapes that I probably cant even play. They were the old audiotapes. I don't even think they sell those small machines you play them in anymore... So how will I listen to them...?

Wait!! I know... Now I remember. Iruka has one of those old type of stereos that plays these tapes in the spare room. I don't know where he got it, but then again, I don't really care right now. I just want to find out whats on these tapes.

I grabbed the small box and walked down the hallway to the spare room. I walked in and shut the door, grabbed a chair, and put the first tape in the stereo.

-- ...Fin...

Yes, this was short... I know, and I'm sorry. But I'm trying to follow the chapters like they are in the book...Know what I mean? Yea... Next chapter will be longer, I promise. Now...Press the purple button? Pleaseee?


	2. Cassette 1: Side A Part 1

Woo! I'm back already. See? You might like me, I update fast. Well, I mean... I'm trying. Cause I know how everybody hates waiting a month for somebody to add a chapter. But anyways...

Forgot to mention, this is all based on Naruto's POV. Well... The last chapter was, but in this chapter, we're going to kinda have two stories going on at once, ok? Ok. We'll have Sakura come in right away, and every time she talks, her words will be in italics. So thats how you'll be able to tell who's talking. Naruto will just be normal, no fancy font or anything. Oh, and if I don't tell you when Naruto hits play and stop, then you'll see " -Play-". And this also takes place in Shippuuden. If you can manage to remember all that, then I think this might turn out good.

I don't own Naruto, and I don't own "Thirteen Reasons Why."

Ok, enough talking... On with the story!

Cassette 1: Side A --

-Play-

_Hello boys and girls. Ladies and gentleman. Sakura Haruno here. Yes, Sakura Haruno. Famous medic-nin of Konoha... Live and in stereo._

No, thats not possible. No...I don't believe it.

_No return engagements. No encore. And this time, absolutely no requests. _

No, I cant believe it. Sakura Haruno... She... She killed herself.

_I hope your ready, because I'm about to tell you the story of my life. Well...most of it. The only part that matters, anyways. But more specifically, why my life ended. And if your listening to these tapes, then you're one of the 13 reasons why. _

What?! No!!

_I wont say which tape brings you into the story. That wouldn't be fair, now would it? So just sit, relax, and listen. But fear not, if you received this lovely little box, your name will pop up. I promise. I mean, come on now... Why would a dead girl lie? Ha... That sounds like a joke, doesn't it? Why would a dead girl lie? Answer: Because she cant get up! _

Is this some kind of twisted suicide note? God...Sakura...

_Go ahead. Laugh. Come on..._

_Oh well. I thought it was funny. _

Before Sakura died, she recorded a bunch of tapes... But why? What was she really doing this for? To make people understand something they never did? To teach them a lesson?

_The rules are pretty simple. There are only two. Rule number one: You listen. Number two: You pass these tapes on. Hopefully, neither one will be easy for you. That'd make it all a little more exciting, wouldn't it? _

A knock at the door... A voice.

"Naruto, what's that you're playing in there?"

Crap. "Iruka! Oh uh..." I panic. Reaching over to press the pause button, I end up pressing all of them. But at least it goes silent.

"Iruka... You scared me." I pause. " It's nothing...A school project. Just helping my friend out." My oh-so-creative excuse for everything. I stay out late? School project. I need extra money? School project. But now... Now... The tapes of a girl. A girl who, only two weeks ago, swallowed a handful of pills.

School project. Yea...right.

"Oh, thats nice. Can I listen?"

My heart pounds. "Uh...no...sorry. I need to uh...get finished and it's kind of boring...you know..."

"Well, ok Naruto. If you say so... Good luck."

Yea. Good luck. Good luck listening to a dead girls sweet voice come from a stereo, and echo through the room... Good luck Naruto. I put a shaky finger on the play button. I suddenly feel very weak... Nothing feels right... My heart is still pounding... I cant even press a small button on a stereo. Pathetic.

Hitting the play button seemed so easy the first time... But not so much anymore. Now I know whats on these tapes. And now it's frightening to hit the button. I wish I never would have seen these tapes...

I breathe in, and out, and in, and out... My fingers trace over the buttons to the volume, I turn it down, and painfully press Play.

_...Hopefully, neither one will be easy for you._

_When you're done listening to all thirteen sides, rewind the tapes, put them back in the box, and pass them on to whoever follows your little tale. And you, lucky number thirteen, you can take the tapes straight to hell. Depending on what you believe...your religion, maybe I'll see you there. Or maybe not... Who knows._

_In case you've tempted to break the rules, please understand that I did make a copy of these tapes. Yes, I'm prepared for whatever you want to try. So, I dare you. I dare you to break the rules... Because those copies will be released in a very public manner if this package doesn't make it through all of you. _

_So, don't take me for granted...again. _

No... There's no way she could think that...

_...You are being watched._

-Pause-

I'm still shaking, the room feels hot, chills are being sent through my spine, and I'm at a loss of breath. I glance over and see a bucket on the floor. Thats good to know. I may need to use that...

I hardly knew Sakura Haruno. I mean, don't get me wrong... I wanted to... I wanted to know her so bad, more than I had a chance. Over the summer, we worked together at a small movie theater. And not too long ago, at a party, we made out. But we never really had a chance to get closer. And not once...no, not once, had I ever taken her for granted. Never.

This must be a mistake. A big mistake. I never harmed her. These tapes shouldn't be here, not with me.

Or a terrible joke...

I take the trash can and search it. I check the wrapping I threw in it. There has to be a return address on it somewhere. There just has to. Maybe I'm just overlooking it...

Sakura's suicide tapes are being past around. Someone made a copy of them and sent them to me as a joke... Tomorrow at school someone will laugh when they see me in the halls, or they'll smirk and look away. And then I'll know. But...how is this a joke? It isn't funny. It's just sick.

-Play-

_I almost forgot... If you're on my list, you should've received a map. _

I dropped the wrapping back into the trash.

I'm on the list. This isn't a joke. This isn't a mistake. I am on the list... But why?

A few weeks ago, just days before Sakura took the pills, someone slipped an envelope through the vent of my locker. The outside of the envelope said: SAVE THIS-YOU'LL NEED IT in thick pink marker. Inside was a folded up map of Konoha. About a dozen stars marked different area's around town.

I remember it looking like those maps they gave is in elementary school, to learn all the basics. Tiny blue numbers scattered around the map matched up with business names listed in margins.

I kept Sakura's map in my backpack. I meant to show it to a few other people around school to see if anybody else got it. Or if anybody knew something-anything-about it. But I guess I forgot about it...It's still in there, I know it is... It's probably just under the mess I call my work.

_Throughout the tapes, I'll be mentioning several spots around our small town for you to visit. I cant force you to go but if you'd like a little more insight, just head for the stars. Or, if you'd like, just throw the maps away and I'll never know. So its all up to you. Whether you want to know more, or not._

As I sit on the chair and listen to Sakura's recorded words, I glance over and see my backpack. Somewhere in there is her map.

_Or maybe I will.. I don't exactly know how this whole dead thing works. Who knows... maybe I'm standing behind you right now. _

I lean back in my chair and try to relax. I let my face fall into my hands and I slide my fingers back into unexpectedly damp hair.

_Ok, I'm sorry. That wasn't fair..._

_Ready, Mr. Uchiha?_

-- Fin.

Geez. That really wasn't even the full chapter... It wasn't half of it, either... I'm thinking this chapter will have 3 parts... Well, the actual story will be changed in my version... I'll have "Cassette 1: Side A Part 2" And part 3, and so on. You know? Yea... I know I've left you at cliffhangers, but when your the one writing the story, you get to have the joy of making you all want more. Get it?! Seriously though...! It's fun. Anyways...

Review?


	3. Cassette 1: Side A Part 2

Hmmm... Not much to say about this chapter... Oh, thanks to all who reviewed! I promise to try and reply to all of them as soon as I get time... I've surprisingly got a lot of things going on, but I promise to update as fast as possible... And also, if I ever make you all wait a week or more...then... I'll... Hm... Oh, I'll make a really long chapter. I mean really long. You've seen the tiny scrollers on the side, right? Yea, like that. Long.

Review Responses:

Ha ha, I've gotten two reviews -so far- that said this is creepy. And...I know. I've added lines and taken out some and replaced others. I'm trying to make it a bit more interesting, to keep you all reading, of course!

Yes, yes, yes! I do find joy that you all are interested, and want to know whats going to happen next. That's why I'm starting to change more and more things. So if you happen to read the story, you'll know that you'll be seeing way more of my work then the authors. I'll have to change a lot.

Ah, the main character. I've actually went to the books website and listened to the author talk about his story. It may seem that Sasuke is main character in a bit, but trust me, he isn't. It may also seem Sakura is the main character, but she isn't. She's very close, but Naruto is the main character.

Yes, Naruto is a loner. He doesn't live alone though. He lives with Iruka.

I recommend the novel to every one of you who hasn't read it. It's really good. One of those books that keeps you wanting more.

I don't own Naruto, and I don't own "Thirteen Reasons Why."

Cassette 1: Side A Part 2 --

_...Ready Mr. Uchiha?_

Sasuke Uchiha. A very popular senior. He was Sakura's first kiss...

But why do I know that?

_Sasuke...honey, you were my first kiss. My first hand to hold. But you weren't anything more than an average guy... I don't say that to be mean-I don't. There was just something there...something that made me love you. To this day, I still don't know what it was but it was there... And oh, was it amazingly strong._

_You don't know this Sasuke, but two years ago, I'd follow you... I worked in the office for a while, and came across your schedule. I memorized every class you had, in perfect order. I think I even photocopied it. And it's probably still here somewhere. Lying around with everything else. Every other heartbreaking memory._

_And when they go through my belongings, they'll probably toss it away thinking a freshman crush has no relevance. But does it?_

_Yes. For me, yes, it does. I went back as far as you to find an introduction for my story. And, to tell you the truth, this is really where it begins. _

So where am I on these tapes? What number? Two? Three? Or...thirteen?

_When you reach the end of these tapes, Sasuke, I hope you'll understand your meaning in all of this. Your role. Your reason, and your meaning in all of this. _

_Betrayal, it's one of the worst feelings. I should know._

_I know you didn't mean to let me down... I know. In fact, most of you...or maybe all of you...probably had no idea what you were doing-what you were truly doing._

What was I doing, Sakura? You need to tell me, because I honestly have no idea what I was doing...I don't. Is it because of that one night? What ever happened?

_The first red red star can be found at C-4. Take your finger to C, and drop it down to 4. Yes, thats right. Just like Battleship. Easy enough, right...? Good. When you're done with this tape, you should go there. We only lived in that house for a short while, the summer before my freshman year, but it's where we lived when I first came to town. _

_And, its where I first saw you Sasuke. Maybe you'll think back right now, and remember... Do you? You were in love with my friend Ino. My first and only friend at the time since it was two months before the new school year. She had told me of all the times you'd try to get her attention. _

_Ino told me at the school dance you managed to ask her to dance. She talked of every slow you danced together. She said she was even going to let you kiss her. Her very first kiss, taken by you, Sasuke._

The rest of these stories must be bad... Really bad. They probably just get worse as we go along... What if mine is the worst? What if I was the main reason for hr doing what she did? Oh god.

Why would you want a bunch of tapes mailed to your house blaming you for a suicide? You wouldn't, and thats the point. But Sakura wants to tell us all these things. She wants us to know what she has to say, not what others want to say. And we'll all end up passing these tapes on, on person to the next. Out of fear. Because of fear.

_I wanted to see what you looked like, Sasuke. What kind of person you looked like. So I made Ino call you up and tell you to come over. _

_You were playing ball at the time... You said you couldn't come over at the time, but you'd be over later. So we waited.We were sitting on my front bay window, talking for hours, when all of a sudden you and one of your good friends-hi, Neji!-came walking up the street._

Neji...? Neji Hyuuga? I don't ever remember seeing Neji with Sakura before. Before this, I didn't even know they met... But before this, I didn't know a lot of things...

_You and Sasuke were walking up the middle of the street to my old house._

-Pause-

Wait, wait... I need to think.

Why am I putting myself through all of this? I mean, why put myself through this? Why not just take the stupid tape out of the stereo and throw the entire box of them in the trash?

Tears sting in the corners of my eyes. I think about why I can't just throw these tapes away and forget about them... Because it's Sakura's voice... A voice I thought I'd never hear again. I can't throw that away...

And because of the rules. I look over at the small box next to me on the floor. Sakura said she made a copy of these tapes... But hat id she didn't? What if she just did that to scare us? To make us send them out of fear? Maybe if the tapes stop, if I don't pass them on, thats it. It's over. Nothing happens. ...What then?

But...what if there's something on these tapes that could hurt me? What if it's no trick? Then a second set of tapes will be released... Well, thats what Sakura said. And then everybody will hear what's on them.

This is like a game... Who's willing to test her bluff?

-Play-

_You both placed a foot on my lawn. The sprinklers had been running all morning, so the grass was wet. Sasuke, your foot slid forward, sending you into a split. Neji had been staring in the window to get a better look at me, and when Sasuke tried to get up, he tripped over you...which sent you both down onto the curb. _

_You both jolted up clumsily. Then you two just stood there, staring into the window at us. You looked at each other, and quickly decided to run back as me and Ino laughed like crazy in the window. _

I remember that... Ino cracked up all over again while telling me at the party.

The party where I first saw Sakura at.

God... I thought she was so pretty. Around the opposite sex, especially back then, my tongue twisted into knots. But Sakura was new here. So it gave me a chance to be the new and improved Naruto Uzumaki.

_Ino moved away right before school had started...and I ended up falling in love with the boy she left behind. And it wasn't long before I saw that same boy showing interest in me. Which just might have had something to do with the fact that I always seemed to be around._

_We didn't share any classes, but we'd pass each other on the way to periods one, four, and five. And of course, that became my favorite time of the day. The small little parts that you were in._

I remember at Ino's party, everyone hung around outside on the small patio... Even though the temperature was freezing. It was probably the coldest night of the year. And I, of course, forgot my jacket at home. Typical.

_After a while, I managed to say hi. And just a little while later, you managed to say it back. But then, one day, I went by you without saying a word. I did this on purpose, knowing you'd want to say hi. And thats how we had our first conversation. _

No...thats not right. I left my jacket at home on purpose so everybody could see my new shirt. What an idiot I was...

_You stopped me... "Hey!" You said. "Aren't you going to say hello?" _

_I smiled, took a breath, then turned around. "Why should I?"_

"_Because you always say hello..."_

_I asked you why you thought you were such an expert on me. I said you probably didn't know anything about me. _

At Ino's part, I bent down to tie my shoe while having a conversation with Sakura, but my fingers were numb from the cold... And I couldn't do it.

Being as sweet as she is, Sakura offered to tie it for me. But, of course, I didn't let her. Instead, I waited for Neji to slip into the conversation to go inside and thaw my fingers beneath the running water.

So embarrassing. Probably the most embarrassing moment of my life.

_Earlier, when I asked my mom how to get a boys attention, she said, "Play hard to get." So that's what I was doing. And sure enough, it worked. You started waiting for me by my classes. _

_It seemed like weeks went by before you finally spoke up and asked me for my number. But I knew eventually you would, so I practiced saying it out loud. Real calm and confident like I really didn't care... Like I gave it out a hundred times a day, even though I didn't..._

_Yes, boys at my old school asked me for my number. But here, at my new school, you were the first._

_No... That's not true. But you were the first to actually get my number. _

_Its not that I didn't want to give it out. It's just that I was being cautious. New town, new school. And this time... I was going to be in control of how people saw me. After all, how often do we get a second chance...? ...Exactly._

_Before you, Sasuke, whenever anyone asked, I'd say all the right numbers up to the very last one. And then I'd get scared and mess up...sort of accidentally on purpose. _

I grab my backpack and place it on my lap. I unzip the biggest pocket.

_I guess you could say I was getting way to excited seeing you write down my number. Luckily, for me, you were way too nervous to notice. When I finally said the last number-the correct number!-I had the biggest smile on my face._

_Meanwhile, your hand was shaking so badly that I thought you were going to mess it up. I was not going to let that happen... No, not now. I watched you closely. _

I find Sakura's mad and pull it out. Then, I unfold it on my lap.

_I pointed at the number you were writing. "That...should be a seven," I said._

"_It is a seven..."_

I grab a ruler that was close by me, and use it to smooth out the creases.

"_Oh... Well, as long as you know it's a seven."_

"_I do." You said. But you scratched it out anyway and tried to write another seven... Which was worse, but I'm sure you were aware of that. _

_I stretched the cuff of my sleeve into my palm and almost reach out and wipe the sweat from your forehead...Almost... Thats something my mother would have done... But thankfully, I didn't. You probably would have never asked a girl for her number again._

I hear somebody coming from down the hallway. Iruka calls my name. I lower the volume quickly, and place one finger over stop, just in case he comes in.

"Yes?"

-- Fin.

Wow. This one is a bit longer then the other one... Hope you liked it!

Review?


	4. Cassette 1: Side A Part 3

Thanks to all who reviewed! I'm glad you guys like this story! I promise to keep updating as fast as possible. I'm going to start trying to make longer chapters too.

I don't own Naruto, and I don't own "Thirteen Reasons Why."

Cassette 1: Side A Part 3 --

_By the time I got home, you'd already called. Twice...! _

"I don't want to have you stop working," Iruka says, "but I need to know if you're coming out of there for dinner."

_My mom asked who you were, and I said we had a class together. You were probably just calling with some kind of homework question. And she said thats exactly what you told her. _

I look down at the first red star. C-4. I know where that is... But should I go there? Or would it just be better to stay home...?

_I couldn't believe it. Sasuke, you lied to my mom. _

_So...why did that make me so happy?_

"No," I say. "I'm going to head to a friend's house...You know, for his project."

_Because, Sasuke... Our lies matched. It was a sign. _

"Well, ok," Iruka says. "I'll just put out some ramen for you to heat up when you get back."

_Later, my mom asked what class we had and I said math, which wasn't a total lie... We both had math. Just not together... And not the same type._

"_Good," My mom had said. "That's what he told me."_

_I automatically accused her of not trusting her own daughter, grabbed the slip of paper with your number on it, and ran upstairs. _

Yea... I guess I'll go there. To the first star. But before that, when this side of the tape is over, I'll make a quick stop at Kiba's.

Kiba never upgraded his car stereo so he still plays tapes. That way, he says, he's in control of the music. If he gives someone a ride and they bring their own music, too bad.

"The formats not compatible," he tells them.

_When you answered the phone, I said, "Sasuke? It's Sakura. My mom said you called with a math problem." _

Kiba drives an old Mustang handed down from his sister, who got it from their dad, who probably got it from his dad.

_You were confused at first, but eventually you remembered lying to my mom and, like a good boy, you apologized. _

While Kiba doesn't classify as a close friend, we have worked on a few actual projects together so I know where he lives. And most important of all, he owns an old Walkman that plays tapes. A yellow one with a skinny plastic headset that I'm sure he'll let me borrow. I'll take a few tapes with me and listen to them as I walk through Sakura's old neighborhood, which is only a block or so from Kiba's.

"_So, Sasuke, whats the math problem?" You weren't getting off that easy. _

Or maybe I'll take the tapes somewhere else. Somewhere private. Because I can't listen here. Not that Iruka will recognize the voice in the speakers, but I need room. Room to breathe, to think.

_And you didn't miss a beat. You told me Train A was leaving your house at 3:45 pm. Train B was leaving my house ten minutes later. _

_You couldn't see this, Sasuke, but I raised my hand like I was in class. "Pick me, Mr. Uchiha. Pick me," I said. "I know the answer." _

_When you played along and called my name, "Yes, Miss Haruno?" I threw my Mom's hard-to-get rule out right then and there. I told you the two trains met at the small park by the entrance of Konoha at the bottom of the rocket slide. _

What did Sakura see in him? I never got that... Even she admits that she was unable to point it out. But for some reason, for an average-looking guy, so many girls are into Sasuke.

Sure...he's kind of tall. And maybe they find him intriguing... I don't know. But he's always looking out windows, contemplating something.

_A long pause at the end of your line, Sasuke. And I mean a loooooong pause. "So...when do the trains meet?" you asked me, finally._

"_Fifteen minutes," I said._

_You said fifteen minutes seemed awfully slow for two trains that were going full speed._

Whoa... Slow down, Sakura.

_I know what your all thinking. Sakura Haruno is a slut. A big, lying, slut. Oops. Did you catch that? I said, "Sakura Haruno is..." _

_Can't say that anymore._

...She stops talking...

I drag the stereo closer to me. The two spindles in the tape deck, hidden behind a smoky plastic window, pull the tape from one side to the other. A gentle hiss comes from the speaker. A soft static hum.

I wonder what she's thinking... At that moment, are her eye's shut? Is she crying...?! Is her finger on the Stop button, hoping for the strength to press it? Does she even want to? What is she doing?! I can't hear!

_Wrong...!_

Her voice is angry...Almost trembling.

_Sakura Haruno is not, and never was, a slut. Which begs the question... What have you heard? Not the truth, thats for sure._

_I simply wanted a kiss. I was a freshman girl who had never been kissed. Never. But I liked a boy, he liked me, and I was going to kiss him. That's the story-the whole story-right there. _

What was the other story? Because I did hear something...

_The few nights leading up to our meeting in the park, I'd had the same dream. Exactly the same. From beginning to end. And for your listening pleasure, here it is. _

_But first... A little background. _

_My old town had a park similar to the one here in Konoha...in one way. They both had that same rocket ship. I'm sure it was made by the same company because they looked identical. A red nose points to the sky. Metal bars run from the nose all the way down to green fins holding the ship off the ground. Between the nose and the fins are three platforms, connected by three ladders. On the top level is a steering wheel. On the mid level is a slide that leads down to the playground._

_Many nights leading up to my first day of school here, I'd climb to the tip of that rocket and let my head fall back against the steering wheel. The night breeze blowing through the bars calmed me. I'd just close my eyes and think of home. _

I climbed up there once, only once, when I was five. I screamed and cried my head off and wouldn't come down for anything. But Iruka was too big to fit through the holes... So he called the fire department, and they sent someone up to get me. They must have gotten a lot of calls like that because, a few weeks ago, the city announced plans to tear the rocket slide down.

_I think thats why in my dreams my first kiss took place at that rocket ship. It reminded me of innocence. And thats exactly what I wanted my first kiss to be...Innocent. _

Maybe thats why she didn't put the park on her map. She thought it might be gone by the time she had the tapes sent out.

_So back to my dreams, which started the day you began waiting outside my classroom door. The day I knew you liked me._

Sakura took off her shirt and let Sasuke put his hands up her bra. Thats it. Thats what I heard happened in the park that night.

But wait... Why would she do that in the middle of the park? It doesn't make sense...

_The dream starts with me at the top of the rocket ship, holding onto the steering wheel. It's a playground rocket, not a real one...but every time I turn the wheel to the left, the trees in the park lift up their roots and sidestep it to the left. When I turn the heel to the right, they sidestep it to the right. _

_Then I hear your voice calling up from the ground... "Sakura! Sakura!! Stop playing with the trees and come down here to see me."_

_So I look down, and leave the steering wheel and climb through the hole in the top platform. But when I reach the next platform, my feet have grown so big that they cant fit through the next hole..._

Big feet? Seriously...? I'm not into dream analysis, but maybe she was wondering if Sasuke...no... No way.

_I poke my head through the bars and shout, "My feet are too big. Do you still want me to come down?"_

"_I love big feet," you shout back. "Come down the slide and see me. Please? I'll catch you."_

_So then I sit on the slide and push off. But the wind resistance on my feet makes me go slow. In the time it takes me to reach the bottom of the slide, I've noticed that your feet are extremely small...Almost nonexistent. _

I knew it...!

_You walk to the end of the slide with your arms stretched out wide, ready to catch me. And wouldn't you know it, when I jump off, my huge feet don't step on your little feet._

"_See? We were made for each other," you say with a smile on your face. Then you lean in to kiss me... Slowly...slowly...Your lips getting closer...and closer...and...I wake up. Bummer._

_Every night for a week I woke up in the exact same about-to-be-kissed-spot. But now, Sasuke, I would finally be meeting you. At that exact same park. At the bottom of that same slide. And damn it, you were going to kiss the hell out of me whether you liked it or not. _

Sakura, if you kissed back then like you did at the party, then trust me, he liked it. He had to of.

_I told you to meet me there in fifteen minutes. Of course, I only said that to make sure I got there first. By the time you walked into the park, I wanted to be inside that rocket and all the way up, just like in my dreams. And thats how it happened...minus the weird trees and big feet, of course..._

_From my viewpoint at the top of the rocket, I saw you come in at the far end of the park. You checked your watch every few steps and walked over to the slide, looking all around, but never up._

_So I spun the steering wheel as hard as I could to make it rattle. You took a step back, looked up at me, and called my name. But don't worry...even though I wanted all of it to be like my dreams, I didn't expect you to know exactly what to say._

"_Be right down," I said._

_But you told me to stop. You'd climb up where I was. So I shouted back, "No! Let me take the slide."_

_Then you repeated those magical, dreamlike words, "I'll catch you."_

Beats my first kiss...by far. Seventh grade, a girl in one of my classes, behind the gym after school. She came over to my table at lunch and whispered the propostition into my ear.

When the kiss was over and done with, three strawberry-lip-gloss seconds later, she turned around and ran away. I peeked around the corner of the gym and watched two of her friends each hand her a five- dollar bill. I couldn't believe it...! My lips were a ten-dollar bet.

Was that good or bad...? Probably bad, I decided.

But I've loved strawberry lip gloss ever since.

_I couldn't help smiling as I climbed down the top of the ladder. I sat myself on the slide-my heart racing. This was it... All my friends back home had their first kisses in middle school. Mine was waiting for me at the bottom of a slide, exactly as I wanted it. All I had to do was push off..._

_And I did._

_I know it didn't really happen like this, but when I look back at that day, it all happens in slow motion. The push. The slide. My hair flying behind me. You raising your arms to catch me. Me raising mine so you could. _

_So when did you decide to kiss me, Sasuke? Was it during your walk to the park? Or did it just simply happen when I slid into your arms?_

_Okay...who out there wants to know my very first thought during my very first kiss? Here it is: Somebody's been eating chilidogs._

Nice one, Sasuke...

_I'm sorry... It wasn't that bad, but it was the first thing I thought. _

...I'll take strawberry lip gloss any day...

_I was so anxious about what kind of kiss it would be-because my friends back home described so many types-and it turned out to be the beautiful kind. You didn't shove your tongue down my throat... You didn't grab my butt... We just held our lips together...and kissed._

_And thats it._

_Wait...Stop. Don't rewind. There's no need t go back because you heard me correctly, I'm sure you did... Let me repeat myself... That. Is. All. That. Happened. _

_Oh, why? Did you hear something else?_

A shiver races up my spine a couple times...

Yes, I did... We all did.

_Well, you're right. Something else did happen. Sasuke grabbed my hand, we walked over to the swings, we swung, and talked. Then he kissed me again the very same way. _

_...Then?! And then, Sakura? What happened then?!_

_Then...we left. He went one way, and I went the other. _

_Oh, I'm sorry...You wanted something sexier, didn't you? You wanted to hear how I touched him, and how he touched me. You wanted to hear..._

_Well, what did you want to hear? Because I've heard so many different stories that I don't know which one is most popular. But I do know which one is least popular..._

_The truth. Yes, the truth is the least popular story. I have heard every other story lingering around except for the truth._

_Now, the truth is the one you won't forget._

I can still see Sasuke huddled among his group of friends at school.

I remembered Sakura walking by, and the whole group stopped talking. They shifted their eyes to each other. And when she passed, they started laughing.

But why do I remember this...?

Because I wanted to speak to Sakura so many times after Ino's party, but I was just too shy. Too scared. Watching Sasuke and his friends that day, I got the sense that there was more to her than I knew.

Then, later, I heard about her getting felt up at the park. And she was so new to school that the rumors over-shadowed everything else I knew about her.

Sakura was beyond me, I figured. Too experienced to even think about me.

_So, thank you Sasuke. Sincerely. My very first kiss was wonderful. And I will never regret it. And for the month or so that we lasted, and everywhere that we went, the kisses were wonderful. You were wonderful. _

_But then you started bragging..._

_A week went by and I heard nothing. But eventually, as they always will, the rumors reached me. And everyone knows you can't disprove a rumor. You just can't._

_I know... I know what you're thinking. As I was telling the story, I was thinking the same thing myself. A kiss...? A rumor based on a kiss made you do this to yourself?_

_No. A rumor based on a kiss ruined a memory that I wanted to make special. A memory that I tried so hard to make special. A rumor based on a kiss started a reputation that other people believed in and I reacted to. And sometimes, a rumor based on a kiss has a snowball effect. _

_A rumor, based on a simple kiss, is just the beginning..._

_Turn the tape over for more._

I reach over to the stereo, ready to hit Stop.

_And Sasuke, honey, stick around. You're not going to believe where your name pops up next._

I hold my finger over the button, listening t the soft hum in the speakers, the faint squeak of the spindles winding the tape, waiting for her voice to return...

But it doesn't. The story is over.

-Stop-

When I get to Kiba's his Mustang is parked against the curb in front of his house. The hood is propped open, and he and his dad are leaning over the engine. Kiba holds a small flashlight while his dad tightens something deep inside with a wrench.

"Did it break down," I ask, "or is this just for fun...?"

Kiba glances over his shoulder and, when he sees me, drops the flashlight into the engine. "Damn..."

His dad stands up and wipes his oily hands across the front of shirt. "Are you kidding? It's always fun." He looks at Kiba and winks. "It's even more fun when it's something serious."

Scowling, Kiba reaches in for the flashlight "Dad, you remember Naruto..."

"Sure," his dad says. "Of course. Good to see you again." He doesn't reach forward to shake my hand. And with the amount of grease that's on them, I'm not offended.

But he's faking it. He doesn't remember me.

"Oh, hey..." his dad says, "I do remember you... You stayed for dinner once, right? Always smiling, good attitude."

I smile.

"After you left, Kiba's mom was after us for a week to be more polite."

What can I say...? Parents like me.

"Yea, that's him," Kiba says. He grabs a shop rag to clean his hands. "So whats going on, Naruto?"

I repeat his words in my head. What's going on? What's going on...? Oh, well, since you asked, I got a bunch of suicide tapes from a girl who killed herself two weeks ago. Nothing out of the ordinary, you know. Oh, and apparently, I had something to do with it. Yea, so I was just wondering if I could borrow your Walkman to find out.

"Not much," I say.

His dad asks if I'd mind getting in the car and starting it up to help them out a little. "The key's in the ignition."

I sling my backpack over to the passenger seat and slide in behind the wheel.

"Wait...Wait!" his dad yells. "Kiba, shine it over here..." Kiba's standing beside the car. Watching me. When our eyes meet, they lock and I can't pull away. Does he know? Does he know about all the tapes Sakura made? "Kiba," his dad repeats. "The light."

Kiba breaks our lock and leans in with the flashlight. In the space between the dash and the hood, his gaze slips back and forth from me to the engine.

What if he's on the tapes? What if his story is right before mine? Is he the one who sent them out...?

God, I'm freaking out! Maybe he doesn't know... Maybe I just look guilty and thats why at he looked at me so strangely.

While I wait for the cue to start the car up, I look around and see the Walkman in the back on the floor. It's just sitting there. The headphones' cord is wrapped tightly around the player. But what's my excuse for needing it?

"Kiba, here, take the wrench and let me me hold the flashlight," his dad says. "You're jiggling it too much."

Hope. They swap flashlight for wrench, and at that moment, I grab for the Walkman. Just like that. Without even thinking. The middle pocket of my backpack is open, so I stuff it in there and zip it shut real quick.

"Okay, Naruto," his dad calls. Busted. "Turn it." ...Or not.

I turn the key and the engine starts right up.

Through the gap above the dash, he's satisfied. "A little fine-tuning to make her sing." he says over the engine. "You can shut it off now, Naruto."

Kiba lowers the hood and clicks it shut. "I'll see you inside, Dad."

His dad nods, and heads toward the house.

I pull my backpack over my shoulder and step out of the car.

"Thanks," Kiba says. "If you wouldn't have showed up, we'd probably be out here all night."

I slip my arm through the other strap and adjust the backpack. I needed to get out of the house," I say. "Iruka was getting on my nerves."

Kiba looks back at the garage. "Tell me about it," he says. "I need to start my homework and my dad wants to drag me outside and get under the hood."

The streetlamp overhead slowly flickers on.

"So, Naruto," he says, "what'd you really come out here for?"

I feel the weight of the Walkman in my backpack.

"I was just walking by and saw you outside. Thought I'd say hi. So...hi."

His eyes stare a little too long, so I look over at his car.

"I'm heading out soon," he says. "Can I give you a lift?"

"Thanks," I say. "but I'm only walking a few blocks..."

He shoves his hands in his pockets. "Where you off to?"

God, I hope he's not on the list. But what if he is...? What if he already listened to the tapes and knows exactly what's going on in my head? What if he knows exactly where I'm going? Or worse, what if he hasn't received the tapes yet? What if they get sent to him further down the line?

If that's the case, he'll remember this moment. He'll remember my stalling. My not wanting to tip him off or warn him.

"Nowhere," I say. I put my hands in my pockets, too. "So, you know, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

He doesn't say a word. Just watches me turn to leave. At any moment I expect him to yell, "Hey! Where's my Walkman?" But he doesn't. It's a clean getaway.

I take a right at the first corner and continue walking. I hear the cars engine start and the crunch of the gravel as the wheels of his Mustang roll forward. Then he steps on the gas, crosses the street behind me, and keeps going.

I slide my backpack off my shoulders and down to the sidewalk. I pull out the Walkman. I unwrap the cord and slip the yellow plastic headphones over my head, pushing the tiny speaker nubs into my ears. Inside my backpack are the first four tapes, which are one or two more then I'll probably have time to listen to tonight... The rest I left at home.

I unzip the smallest pocket and remove the first tape. Then I slide it into the deck, B-side out, and shut the plastic door.

-- Fin.

Finally... Holy crap... That was nine pages on OpenOffice...! Hope you all liked it... Oh, and I'll answer to all who reviewed in the next chapter...! I was going to answer them in this one but... I just don't want to. Yes, I'm being lazy. I know... Sorry...! ...Review? It'll get answered! One way or another...


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